November 1990 SOUTH MOUNTAIN MEANDERINGS

by Travis Hardin

Your reporter, a hard core landlubber, innocently meandered down to Solomons Island in September and stumbled aboard Joe Moraski's splendid sailboat for my first ever sailing trip (Described by Charles Karow in his October Sailing column). We beginners honed our nautical vocabularies and skills so that halfway into the trip expert phrases like these were overheard or uttered by your reporter: "Which way is north?" "Let's set a course for Ireland." "Would somebody please open the hatch up front?" "That's forward hatch, but 'hatch up front' is close enough." "Good job! Give that crewman an extra ration of rum."

"Take up the slack on that line. ---No, the other one!" WHAP! "Whoops! Travis didn't knock himself out, but he'll never wear those sunglasses again."

Brain-damaged, I wandered for two weeks until I found myself at the end of September about 100 miles inland and north of Frederick. There I joined another hearty Mensa crew for the Fall Colors Catoctin Camping Trip planned by Bill and Barbara Reeve. (See separate article in this issue.) The fine weather, fresh mountain air, and matchless companionship cleared up my confusion to the limited extent I can boast of it. For a camping report, just ask anybody who still smells smokey. It was on this mount that camper, lawyer, and Metropolitan Washington Mensan Rosemary McDermott had an experience like that of St. Paul on the road to Damascus. The bright light of Maryland Mensa shone round about her, and she was resolved to convert to a higher state of being--membership in Maryland Mensa.

October 11 dawned full of promise because Frederick Magazine had contacted Mensan Anjel Scarborough about sending a reporter to that night's scheduled South Mountain/Western Maryland Mensa gathering to do an article. Reporter Marie Erickson and husband\photographer Ray Price were met that evening by a gaggle of noisy Mensans, some trying with limited success to affect dignity for the sake of the media, while others, who will remain unnamed, acted with typical disgusting abandon. (For a definition of "typical abandon", see last month's SMM column.)

Included in the aforementioned gaggle were South Mountaineers Carol Baldwin, Greg Pacek, Travis Hardin, Bill and Jan Todd with wonder baby Rachael, Rosemary McDermott, Vince Mooney, Marsha Cope, and honorary South Mountaineer Fred Davis.

Among our honored long distance guests was Maryland LocSec and president Tim Hardy, who was accompanied by the Sultan of Baltimore, Charles Karow.

Tim Hardy impressed us by passing around the proclamations by Governor William Donald Schaefer and Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke declaring September 24-30, 1990 MARYLAND MENSA WEEK. Thanks to our venerable LocSec for this publicity.

Anjel Scarborough couldn't be with us because the meeting day chosen conflicts with a regular Frederick County NOW meeting. I salute Anjel's dedication to Mensa and to the National Organization for Women. I'm not a card carrying member, but I've tromped sidewalks and streets carrying a few choice placards. Imagine... in the John Lennon sense... a world in which women (as well as men) have freedom, dignity, equality, and justice. I want that.